Map of Alaska showing known gold-bearing rocks with descriptive text containing sketches of the geography, geology, and gold deposits and routes to the gold fields

Alaska is the northernmost and largest US state in terms of territory and has a sea border with Russia in the Bering Strait. Alaska was first visited by a Russian expedition under Vitus Bering in 1741. In 1799, the territory was transferred to the Russian-American Fur Company by Emperor Paul VIII, and in 1839 its charter was extended for 24 years. In 1867, it was transferred to the United States for a cash payment of $ 7,200,000 and the treaty was signed on March 30 and ratified on June 20, 1867. On October 18, this was followed by the official transfer of the country to the United States military at New Archangel, now called Sitka. This book, published by the United States Geological Survey in 1898, contains the most important and concise information about Alaska at that time. There is a geographical sketch of Alaska, including rivers, climatic conditions, and routes to the Klondike. The geological sketch of Alaska includes a physical description of the region, original deposits or quartz veins, detrital or placer deposits, coal and lignite deposits, as well as the probable size of gold-bearing deposits and other metals other than gold.